An Italian Stunt Pilot Passed Away After A Mid-Air Collision Before An Air Show

Stunt pilot Marco Ricci was killed after a mid-air collision before an Italian air show this weekend. The collision, which was captured on video, appeared to be a terrible miscommunication between Ricci and Luigi Wilmo Franceschetti, a fellow pilot in the Italian amateur stunt group, “Goodfellas.”

In the YouTube clip, the two propeller-driven stunt planes can be seen flying in alignment with their cabins facing each other (think Maverick from Top Gun) along a beach in Tortoreto, Italy. The two aircraft glide along the coastline, as sunbathing spectators watch in delight. The aircraft both fly in this formation for a few seconds longer, and then, in what appears to be the moment of miscommunication, the planes crash into each other mid-air. The bottom plane in the duo plummets to the water, as the top plane looks to still be in the air as the video cuts away.

Ricci passed away the crash, according to authorities. Franceschetti, somehow managed to land his craft after the tragic incident with only minor injuries. Franceschetti is not in the clear, however, as authorities are putting him under suspicion of manslaughter.

Thankfully for the shaken crowd, the airshow was canceled after the crash.